RUSSIAVILLE — A huge fire ripped through a large saw mill building at Hollingsworth Lumber Co. on Ind. 26 Friday.
Several buildings of the 65-year-old business were destroyed.
When Russiaville Volunteer Fire Department crews arrived on the scene shortly after noon, flames were shooting from a large building in the middle of the property.
Flames first engulfed a grading building and then spread to the mill and four other smaller buildings, said Darin Hollingsworth, the owner of the business.
No one was inside either building at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported.
Hollingsworth said an electrical problem may have started the fire.
“I had several guys working in that building 15 minutes prior to the fire,” Hollingsworth said of the mill. “With the high winds, it engulfed the building within minutes. We’re guessing it was electrical. I’m waiting for the fire marshal’s office. I’m just glad no one was hurt.”
By 3:30 p.m., fire crews had most of the fire out and were still putting water on hot coals in the rubble.
Hollingsworth said the large building containing the mill and four other smaller buildings were destroyed.
Shad Wright and a handful of workers at Hollingsworth were on their lunch break when they saw a big plume of smoke.
“We just saw black smoke coming from the mill,” he said as fire crews worked feverishly to put out flames.
“There wasn’t much we could do.”
Worker Jake Wright had just pulled up to the saw mill before the fire.
“When I walked in the door, the other guys ran past me screaming ‘fire,’” he said. “Flames were shooting 30 feet in the air coming from the mill. Within five minutes, the mill and grading building were gone. It went up so quick there was nothing we could do.”
Fire crews from more than 10 departments were called out to assist in extinguishing the blaze.
Russiaville also called in Ladder 6 and a crew of three from the Kokomo Fire Department for aerial water support.
Getting water to the huge area on fire was a concern.
Tanker trucks had to travel to Russiaville and the Martin Marietta quarry to refill their tanks.
With the saw mill destroyed by the flames, fire crews concentrated their efforts in keeping flames from spreading to a new mill in a large building at the north end of the property.
Despite the extensive damage, Hollingsworth said they will remain open as they rebuild.
“I told my guys to report here Monday,” he said after firefighters extinguished the blaze.
“We’ll come out of the ashes and move forward. We’re not able to saw any wood, but we have plenty of lumber. We have a new mill being built already. We just need to get it up running sooner than we expected.”
Officials blocked off Ind. 26 east and west of Russiaville so emergency vehicles could get to the scene without delay.
Fire departments assisting in the fire were Harrison Township, Taylor Township, Greentown, Burlington, Kempton, Forest, Michigantown, Young America and the Howard County Emergency Management. Russiaville police and Howard County sheriff deputies and EMA officers helped block off nearby streets.
Mike Fletcher may be reached at (765) 454-8565 or via e-mail at mike.fletcher@kokomotribune.com
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